First, for the record, the report is a review of many
different research studies, not its own designed study. It is very difficult to
combine studies with differing scopes and draw single strong conclusions. In
conversation with agricultural researchers from the University of Kentucky and
Kentucky State University, they pointed out the conservative statistical tests
used in the Stanford report brought the variation of each study into the same
range, therefore no differences show up, although many of the individual
studies do show a positive significant difference in nutrient content of
organic foods.

As we have touched on before in your weekly
newsletter, insects do not pressure organic crops when they have such a strong
balance of nutrients in them to produce the com-pounds needed to resist chewing
and piercing insect-feeders. It just goes to reason that the produce itself
would have a similar balance of micro-nutrients, and those often are not
included in studies like these. The Stanford report does go on to indicate
higher levels of anti-oxidants are found in organic produce, those all-important
nutrients, that contribute to a healthy body and offer disease suppression.

One major
conclusion of the report showed clear benefits to consuming organic foods due
to a reduced exposure to pesticides. Face it, how well can one wash broccoli or
strawberries? All pesticides have a ‘days to harvest interval’ after
application, but there are serious insecticides, miticides, fungicides, and
growth regulators that really do not need to be anywhere
near the foods we consume. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty
Dozen annual list.

Not only is organic produce not contaminated with
pesticides, but also organic grains are lower in mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are toxic compounds associated
with molds on or in grains. They can invade the grains during production or in
post-harvest handling and storage. Because most organic grains are handled in
smaller lots, not commingled with many other producers’ grains, and often sold
locally rather than stored or shipped great distances, they are less prone to
coming into contact with these molds.

The report did find that a benefit of consuming
organic meat and poultry is the reduced exposure to antibiotic-resistant
bacteria, along with the beneficial elevated levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
Many non-organic farms add sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics to the feed to
stimulate growth of their animals. Anyone can walk into a farm supply store and
purchase them with no restrictions. These antibiotics are not only showing up
in streams and rivers, but also in under-ground aquifers. There is evidence
that now shows human pathogenic bacteria are becoming resistant to treatment
because of this indiscriminate use in food animals.

The higher presence of the heart-healthy omega-3
fatty acids is a testament to raising the animals on pasture and with grazing
systems that naturally expose the animals to the fatty acids in their diets. Important
is not just what the animals eat, but allowing their digestive systems to
function properly at the right pH level with an optimum balance of nutrients.

The study itself has added some fuel to the fire of
organic versus conventional production methods. Interestingly, the inaccurate, but attention-grabbing headline
for the Stanford research study has generated even more follow up news reports. This begs the question, why does organic
research have to misrepresent the results to get some ‘airtime’?

Nonetheless, a thorough consideration uncovers some pretty
clear evidence. Eating organic food is
much better for you and for the environment.

In Your Share

Bok Choy – organic

Eggplant

Lettuce – organic

Yellow Sweet Candy Onion – organic

White Onion - organic

Sweet Bell Peppers – organic

Hot Peppers - organic

Potatoes – organic

Sweet Potatoes - organic

Garlic – organic

Purple Top White Turnips with Greens –
organic

Raspberries - organic

Sweet Corn - organic

Tomatoes - organic

Recipes to Enjoy

Velvet Chicken with Bok Choy our thanks to a CSA member for sharing this recipe originally from Eating Well magazine, she recommends serving it over cooked brown rice. If you prefer a little more spiciness, try using one of your fresh hot peppers.

When the chicken has 10 minutes to go, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add 1 T oil. Reduce the heat to low. Carefully add the chicken to the barely simmering water; gently stir so it doesn’t clump together. Cook just until opaque but not cooked through, about 1 minute. Carefully drain the chicken in a colander and shake to remove excess water.

Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the remaining 1 T oil. Add 1/3 C scallions, ginger and crushed red pepper; using a metal spatula, stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add bok choy and the remaining ¼ tsp salt. Stir-fry until the bok choy is almost crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken. Stir the broth mixture again, swirl it into the wok and stir-fry until the chicken is just cooked through and lightly coated with sauce, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1/3 C scallions.

Mashed Turnips
with Caramelized Onions, recipe
from The Wholesome Chef

2-3
turnips, green tops removed, reserved for another dish

¼
C olive oil

1
small yellow onion

½ C
unsweetened coconut milk

3 T butter
or earth balance

½ tsp sea
salt

¼ tsp black
pepper

½ tsp
garlic powder

Peel and dice
turnips into uniform cubes, add to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring
to a boil and simmer 25 minutes until fork tender. In the meantime heat oil in
a large skillet over medium heat. Slice onion into thin rings and add to oil,
cook until brown and caramelized stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Heat
milk with butter over low heat until butter is melted. Add milk/butter mixture
to a food processor with tender turnips, puree until smooth. Add salt, pepper,
and garlic to taste. Top with onions and olive oil to serve.

Sweet Potato Hummus, a Sarah Britton recipe

Note: Don't get too hung up on
the quantities of ingredients with this recipe - it's hard to make a mistake!
Use more or less sweet potato than called for, more or less chickpeas if that
suits you (or even leave them out!), omit the cayenne or throw in more if you
like it spicy. Just work with what you have and what tastes good to you.

Place sweet potatoes (with the skin on) in a baking dish in a 400 F oven and
bake until very soft, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size. Let the sweet potatoes cool down so that you
can easily remove their skins - they should just peel off. Place them in a food
processor with the remaining ingredients and blend on high to mix.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of cracked black pepper, and
whatever herb you have on hand. This is wonderful with raw veggies, healthy
crackers, or pita bread. This dip
doubles as an amazing sandwich spread, particularly on crusty sourdough with
avocado, sprouts, and fresh herbs. Finally, you can use as a thickener for
soups and stews.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Organic Showcase

The organic world will convene in
Baltimore, Maryland this week to display new products, discuss regulatory
issues, share ideas for the future, and get customer feedback at the Natural
Products Expo-East.There are a series
of presentations, educational seminars, and the ever-popular trade show.The trade show for this convention is so
large that there are only a few cities with large enough facilities to host it.
In addition to all the food processing and distribution companies, exhibitors
will include organic certification service companies, consumer advocacy groups,
government agencies, and sustainable agriculture proponents. Being so close to Washington DC, there will
be a large number of government watch dog groups and national sustainable
agriculture non-profit groups stopping in to educate attendees on the
importance of developing a supply chain that is fair and equitable to organic farmers.
Groups like Organic Farming Research Foundation, Sustainable Agriculture
Coalition, and Beyond Pesticides will be working the floor, happy to have some “face
time” access with organic product processing and distribution company
representatives, all present at one venue.

As the current Vice-Chairman of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), Mac is traveling from the farm to the meeting to give a
presentation, along with several staff members of the USDA National Organic Program. First created by Congress over
20 years ago, and finalized in 2000, the NOSB oversees the organic program
including international
compatibility issues, new products requested to be allowed, and general
guidelines giving certification agencies the tools they need to effectively monitor the
operations they certify as organic. Members of the board range from chemists to
food manufacturing professionals, consumer advocates, livestock and crop
professionals and certified organic farmers.

There will also be lots of discussion
about the impending Farm Bill in Congress. Revisited every five or so years, the federal Farm Bill
encompasses things like school nutrition programs, farm commodity subsidies, natural
resource conservation programs, agricultural research priorities, and the National
Organic Program (NOP). Many of these programs
are authorized by the legislation, yet funding to administer them is a
secondary legislative action. While
many worthwhile programs have seen cuts in recent years, the NOP has seen its
budget grow from $2 million per year just 3 or 4 years ago to over $9 million
now.As organic foods are the fastest
growing segment of the food market, there is a need for increased staff at the
NOP, and many good organic-thinkers have taken positions within the NOP resulting
in improved services to certifiers, and better technical assistance to the NOSB
for regulatory changes.

The Farm Bill affects all of us whether in the area of
food safety, school lunch, wetland protection, international trade, or even access
to credit.To stay up-to-date on Farm
Bill action (or inaction as often occurs in an election year) visit the website
for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.Our representatives in Congress are acting now, so take a few
minutes to learn more about the policies that affect our food supply, and how
we can ask for changes towards the type of food system we would rather see in
our

future.

In Your Share

Garlic - organic

Lettuce – organic

Onions – organic

Peppers - organic

Potatoes – organic

Stripetti Squash

Tomatoes - organic

Okra – organic

Brussels Sprouts – organic

Swiss Chard – organic

Sweet Corn - organic

Recipes to Enjoy

Spaghetti Squash
and Shrimp or ScallopsThis recipe was such a hit, we have included it again this season. Our
thanks to a CSA member who shared this great recipe! She was thrilled that her
whole family really enjoyed this one-dish meal.

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, thinned out
with a bit of water, and salted with a pinch of salt

2 dates, pitted and chopped

Cook the potatoes along with a generous splash of
olive oil and pinch of salt in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover the
skillet and let the potatoes cook through, this will take five minutes or so.
The water in the potatoes will help steam and soften them. When the potatoes
are just cooked through (not mushy or falling apart) remove the lid and give
them a good toss. Turn up the heat to medium-high and stir every minute or so
(a spatula helps)

until the
potatoes look a bit golden. Stir in the lentils, and cook until heated through.
Turn the potatoes and lentils out onto a large plate and set aside.

Now cook the Brussels
sprouts using the same pan. Heat another splash of olive oil in the skillet
over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the Brussels
sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the sprouts in the pan (single-layer),
sprinkle with a pinch of salt, cover, and cook for a few minutes; the bottoms
of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of
the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook
for another minute or two. Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and
cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized.

Add the lentils
and potatoes back to the skillet and add most of the sliced almonds. Turn out
onto a large platter and drizzle with some of the yogurt. Top with the
remaining almonds and the chopped dates.

Preheat oven to
375 degrees F with the rack in the middle. Put whole squash in a baking dish
and bake until you can easily insert a paring knife, about 40 minutes to one
hour. Remove squash from oven and let cool about 10 minutes.

Cut it in half
from tip to tip (long ways) and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Scrape the
sides of the squash with a fork until you have removed all the stringy
spaghetti. Toss the strands in a bowl with some olive oil, garlic salt and
pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in
the middle. Prepare bacon according to package directions. In a medium bowl
combine squash, cottage cheese, nutmeg, and another pinch of pepper and garlic
salt to taste if needed. Add the egg.

In a 9 inch bake
safe pie dish layer squash mixture, then a layer of the bacon, another layer of
squash then bacon again. Top with Gruyére cheese and bake for about 25 minutes
until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. If you want to crisp up the cheese a
little more set the broil on low for a minute or two.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Landscape Architecture

When the Bell family expanded their
farming operation in the 1950’s by purchasing the Elmwood property outside of
Georgetown, those that farmed it before had set the basic footprint of
infrastructure and much of the field layout we work with today. The original
home place was built in the late 1700’s, complete with well and spring house,
smoke house, out house, cisterns, and numerous other out buildings. The
fencerows were established in accordance with the topography and access to
water. Hilly areas were fenced off for cattle or sheep, while flat lands lent
themselves to cropping, haying and grazing.

Thankfully the value of access to
the water in the North Fork of Elkhorn Creek was considered when the farm was
platted, so we have some “bottom” land across the highway
near to irrigation water. Were this section of the creek not behind one of the
many old milldams, it might have been only good for canoeing. The milldam
allows a deep pool of water to form so that pump intake pipes can be immersed,
and the pool is replenished by normal creek flow between irrigation events.
Back in the heyday of Kentucky tobacco production, there was a lot of demand
for creek and river water, and the dam pools were often pumped dry during
droughty summers. This year was severe for drought, but there are fewer farmers
raising fewer acres of crops, so the milldam pool near Elmwood filled
sufficiently.

Trees were allowed to grow along the
fencerows to provide shade for livestock and wind breaks for crops and
livestock. Years ago large steel tanks were cut into rings, imbedded in
concrete with underground pipes supplying water into them.More modern tanks are made of cast concrete
or even heavy plastic.These water
reservoirs are placed in the fencerows so livestock can access them from two,
sometimes three fields, and they do not impact field-cropping activities.

Gates to access fields were strategically placed
in the fence line.Some of the older,
dry stone laid rock fences had a passageway constructed within the fence to
allow people to cross, but not animals; or small livestock like sheep to pass
through when needed.In consideration of
animal behavior, more modern gate openings are near the corners, not in the
corner. Generally to move cattle or sheep, we open the gate and call the
animals. They know fresh pasture awaits and will follow the lead animal that
draws the others through the opening. A gate being ten or twenty feet from the corner makes a
nice funnel but also keeps the lead animal from turning abruptly after passing
through the opening. Were this to happen, young animals that lag behind may see
the first few momma cows moving back towards them along the fence (although on
the other side of it.)Young calves want
to stay close to their moms, so they are unwilling to leave her to go around
through the gate opening, turning a small job of moving the cattle through the
gate into a lengthy task.A gate must
also be hung so it folds all the way back against the fence and does not create
a blockage sticking out into the funnel area. Some gates rest on a peg or rock
when closed so as not to pull the post it hangs from, making it sag and
eventually not open freely. Gate latches may range from a chain hooked over a
nail head, clips that need human hands to open, or horse shoes on chains, which
are fast and easy to open, especially in cold wintry weather with gloves on.

Barns and sheds are strategically
placed around the farm to allow easy access relative to slope, wet conditions,
and patterns of use. The difference between a barn and a shed is that sheds are
open on one side for ease of access into the protected space. Equipment sheds
are long and narrow so each implement can be backed into its spot out of the
weather but easily re-attached to the tractor the next time it is needed.
Livestock sheds allow the animals free access to a protected space in inclement
weather. Our produce packing shed has sliding doors along one side to allow
multiple trucks to dock as items often go out about as fast as they come in.

All
of the sheds in our area are open to the east. Weather systems generally come
from the northwest, but the storms along the front come from the
southwest.Usually, very little rain
blows into a shed with the east side open.Look as you drive through horse country and you will see all the horse run-in-sheds
face east. Occasionally in late winter and early spring, there are storms that
approach from the east and when that happens they are usually doozies, which
means we will have bigger storm problems than wet equipment or wet floors.

We
continue to develop and maintain farm infrastructure, from planting a few trees
each year to renovating old buildings, to putting in new waterlines.We are appreciative for what was already here
to work with, and have learned the importance of sustaining it.

In Your Share

Stringless Green Beans- organic

Cilantro – organic

Lettuce - organic

Onion – organic

Green Bell orSweet Italian or Chocolate Brown Pepper - organic

Hot Pepper - organic

Potatoes – organic

Tomatoes – organic

Sweet Basil - organic

Bok Choy - organic

Garlic – organic

Cippolini Onion - organic

Recipes to Enjoy

Roasted
Jalapeno Tomato Salsa with Cilantro, our
thanks to a CSA member for sharing this Rick Bayless recipe

1
½ pounds ripe tomatoes

2
to 3 fresh jalapeno chiles, stemmed

Half
of a small white onion, about 2 oz, sliced ¼ in thick

4
garlic cloves, peeled

¼
C water

1/3
C chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

1
generous tsp salt

1
½ tsp cider vinegar

Heat the broiler. Lay the whole
tomatoes and jalapenos out on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Set the pan 4
inches below the broiler and broil for about 6 minutes, until darkly roasted —
even blackened in spots — on one side (the tomato skins will split and curl in
places). With a pair of tongs, flip over the tomatoes and chiles and roast the
other side for another 6 minutes or so. The goal is not simply to char the
tomatoes and chiles, but to cook them through while developing nice, roasted
flavors. Set aside to cool.

2. Turn the oven down to 425
degrees. Separate the onions into rings. On a similar pan or baking sheet,
combine the onion and garlic. Roast in the oven, stirring carefully every
couple of minutes, until the onions are beautifully browned and wilted (even
have a touch of char on some of the edges) and the garlic is soft and browned
in spots, about 15 minutes total. Cool to room temperature.

3. For a little less rustic texture
or if you're canning the salsa, pull off the peels from the cooled tomatoes and
cut out the "cores" where the stems were attached, working over your
baking sheet so as not to waste any juices. In a food processor, pulse the
jalapenos (no need to peel or seed them) with the onion and garlic until
moderately finely chopped, scraping everything down with a spatula as needed to
keep it all moving around. Scoop into a big bowl. Without washing the processor,
coarsely puree the tomatoes — with all that juice that has accumulated around
them — and add them to the bowl. Stir in enough water to give the salsa an
easily spoonable consistency. Stir in the cilantro.

4. Taste and season with salt and
vinegar, remembering that this condiment should be a little feisty in its
seasoning. If you're planning to use your salsa right away, simply pour it into
a bowl and it's ready, or refrigerate it covered and use within 5 days.

Green Bean and Potato Salad with Pesto
a Martha Stewart recipe, you can use basic basil
pesto, or experiment with arugula pesto, beet green pesto, or even garlic scape
pesto you might have in the freezer.

1
½ pounds small red new potatoes, scrubbed

1
½ pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

salt
and freshly ground black pepper

2
– 4 T pesto of your choice (see recipe that follows)

In
a large saucepan, cover potatoes with salted water by 1inch.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until tender when pierced with the tip
of a paring knife, about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon (reserve pan
of water). When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes into quarters; place in a
large bowl.

While
potatoes are cooling, return reserved water to a boil. Add green beans; cook
until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain well; transfer to bowl with potatoes.
Add pesto, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper; serve immediately.

Martha
Stewart’s Easy Basil Pesto this recipe
uses pecans rather than the traditional pine nuts; you can also try walnuts or
omit the nuts altogether

Mexican
Style Stuffed Peppers, thanks to a CSA member
for sharing this internet recipe, she reports using several types of peppers
with equal success.

1
pound ground beef (or cooked chicken or turkey)

1
oz taco seasoning

¾
C water

2
tsp chili powder

½
C cooked rice

¼
tsp salt

¼
tsp garlic salt

1/8
tsp ground black pepper

16
oz tomato sauce, divided

3
large red bell peppers

6
(1 inch) cubes Colby-Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease
a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Place the ground beef into a
skillet over medium heat, and brown the meat, breaking it apart into crumbles
as it cooks, about 8 minutes. Drain excess fat. Stir in the taco seasoning,
water, chili powder, cooked rice, salt, garlic salt, black pepper, and half of
the tomato sauce (8oz); mix until thoroughly combined. Bring to a boil, reduce
heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the bell
peppers in half lengthwise, and remove stems, membranes, cores, and seeds.
Place a steamer insert into a large saucepan, and fill with water to just below
the bottom of the steamer. Cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
Place the peppers into the steamer insert, cover the pan, and steam until just
tender, 3 to 5 minutes.(This can be
done if the microwave).

Place the steamed peppers into
the prepared baking dish, and fill lightly with the meat filling. Press 1 cube
of Colby-Jack cheese into the center of the filling in each pepper, and spoon
the remaining 8 oz. of tomato sauce over the peppers. Cover the dish with
aluminum foil.Bake in the preheated oven until the peppers
are tender and the filling is hot, 25 to 30 minutes.